USAID celebrates its 50th anniversary

On December 8 at the Aram Khachaturian House Museum, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern, USAID Armenia Mission Director Dr. Jatinder Cheema, Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgian and guests celebrated 50 years of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Dr. Cheema noted at the event that “Over the past twenty years, USAID has been working with Armenians to promote governmental accountability and transparency, to improve the business environment, and to make the country more competitive regionally and internationally. Our programs have helped Armenia enhance essential public services in important areas such as water and energy, develop better ways to deliver social services to vulnerable populations, and reform primary health care services.”

On November 3, 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy established USAID as the first U.S. foreign assistance organization focused on long-range economic and social development assistance. Today USAID operates in 110 countries around the world.

USAID’s assistance program in Armenia started in late 1980s, with humanitarian aid to help Armenia address needs in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in 1988. As part of this assistance, over 6,800 families were provided permanent housing in the quake-affected provinces of Shirak and Lori, and 120 sites were cleared for public use. USAID Armenia has since focused on the country’s longer-term development and worked in close partnership with the Armenian government, private businesses, non-governmental organizations, other U.S. government agencies and international donors to advance Armenia’s democratic reform process, economic growth, and regional integration.

USAID currently manages about 30 projects in Armenia, in the areas of democratic governance, economic growth, social protection, health care and Turkey- Armenia cross-border reconciliation. Over the past two decades, the USAID has channeled over $1.3 billion of assistance through its development programs to the benefit of the people of Armenia.